Ruby
by Oo-Rainpath-oO
Summary: In the Rise of Scourge manga, we glimpsed into Tiny's life. What about Scourge/Tiny's sister, Ruby? His story is retold in Ruby's point of view, and soon Ruby gets her own ending as well. New Summary. Now completed. Sequel, Blaze is now out.
1. The Talk About Tiny

**Chapter One**

**The Talk About Tiny**

"But _Mother,_ he's too tiny and weak, he's no fun to play with!" argued Ruby furiously. She shot a hostile glare at her brother, Tiny. As his name explained, Tiny was a small black tom with one white paw and blue eyes. Ruby hated him; he was always babied by their mother, Quince, and was no fun to play with. The fragile kit was the runt of the litter, and Ruby and Socks always made fun of him because he was so tiny and useless. The vulnerable little tom's frightened looks always made Quince meow, "Socks, Ruby, why don't you play with your brother?" _The scrawny, pathetic pest!_ Ruby yowled inside her head. _Always telling Mother this and that!_

Calmly, Quince mewed, "Now, Ruby, your brother can't help being small. He was born like that." Rolling her eyes, the pale gray kit retorted, "Well, I bet he wasn't born such a chicken!" Turning around fiercely, she walked away, thinking, _Why does Mother only care about Tiny? It's not fair! Just because he's a coward, she does everything he wants!_ Quince always fulfilled every of Tiny's requests. After her brother, Socks finished announcing his complaints about Tiny, he padded behind her. Socks was a black tom with a white muzzle, tail-tip, and paws. As they explored the house, Ruby told Socks, "Now that the brat is gone, we can play hide-and-seek!" Laughter broke between the two as they decided who would be the 'it'.

"I'll be 'it'!" Ruby offered immediately. Her tracking skills were good; there wasn't a thing she couldn't find inside the house. As she counted to ten, she heard Socks' loud pawsteps thunder in her ears. When she reached ten, her brother was out of sight. Crouching down, she began to sniff, and followed Socks' trail. As she tracked down her brother, she spotted a room she had never seen before. _Isn't this the room Mother told us to keep out of all the time?_ Inquisitively, she poked her head to have a good peek, like any other good kit would. She saw Quince pounce onto a soft azure couch. Curiously, she watched her own mother talk to a picture. The old pale gray she-cat murmured something she didn't catch.

Distracted, Ruby leaped and hid behind a shelf as Quince exited the room. _What picture was Mother looking at?_ Ruby wondered abruptly. She bounded onto the couch and spotted a framed picture of a ginger tom. _Is that our father?_ Wonders flooded her mind. _How come none of us have ginger fur?_ Ignoring her own questions, she knocked off her thoughts. _No, I got to find Socks first._ Diving down from the sofa, she landed on the chilly floor elegantly and departed the room.

Briskly she continued to follow Socks' scent, tracing down each whiff in the house. Finally, she spotted a black tail with a white tail-tip wagging impatiently behind a potted basil plant. "Found you!" she growled playfully. A black tom with a white muzzle padded out, grinning widely. "I thought it would take you forever." Smiling, Ruby opened her mouth to speak. Just when she was about to share the news about the picture to her littermate, she heard the sweet, rasping voice of her mother. "Feeding time, Socks, Ruby!" The two jumped up, excited. Time for their meals!

Ruby and Socks raced into their room, and saw Tiny already licking his milk bowl while Quince was on his side. _Spoiled kit,_ thought Ruby bitterly as she passed her littermate. She and Socks finished their milk rapidly, and then ate the small, tasteless brown chunks that their housefolk gave them. It was disgusting, and never filled their bellies, but at least it was something to eat. As she and her brothers lied down to nap, Quince prodded her shoulders quietly. Her mother motioned her to leave the room, and she followed her mother drowsily. As soon as they were outside the room, Quince whipped around and pleaded kindly, "Oh, Ruby, please don't be mean to Tiny. He does not enjoy being so small either, but when you two are being so cruel to him at the same time, it's very hard for him, and you have to learn to understand."

Curtly, Ruby shot back, "But _Mother_, you always baby him just because he's different. He's just smaller, weaker, and more cowardice and you do whatever he wants for him!" Quince's eyes glimmered sadly. "Do you understand the feeling of being bullied by every cat?" Fury was stuffing up Ruby's throat as she whined unsuccessfully, "Do you understand how _I _feel?" _Darn it,_ thought Ruby. _My eyes are turning watery! Oh, no! I'm going to cry… I can't let that happen!_ Infuriated, she wailed, "You just don't care about me!" She stomped back into her room and buried her face in her gray pelt. _This can only be Tiny's fault,_ she thought heatedly. Giving the sleeping black tom a glower, she drowned into sleep.


	2. Words

**Chapter Two**

**Words**

Yawning widely, Ruby stirred and stared at her surroundings. Quince and Tiny have already awoken, but Socks was still sound asleep. Usually Ruby would wake her brother up, but right now she just wanted to be alone. _All Mother cares about is Tiny. I know that._ Padding along the corridors of the vast house, she cursed Tiny silently with all the bad words she knew. The floor was icy under her paws, and she urged for the warmth of her mother's gray fur. The chilly, crispy air lingered in her nose as she poked her head outside of a clear window. Still no sign of the two cats. Quince was not outside, neither was Tiny. _Where could Mother be?_ She didn't care about Tiny, only her mother. She would never need the frail little tom anyways.

"Oh, can anything ever go worse?" she wondered out loud. As she closed her eyes crossly, she bumped into a thin, feeble shape. _Tiny!_ Her fur bristling, she demanded, "Where is Mother?" Tiny's fur fluffed up defiantly; but his fear scent and his eyes betrayed him. "I-I don't know," he squeaked truthfully. "I-I was j-just looking for her." Glowering at him, she meowed coldly, "Make sure you tell me if you find her." The frightened tom nodded shakily. _Coward,_ mouthed Ruby as she padded past him. Suddenly, a cry rose behind her. "I— stop treating me like that!"

Astounded, she whipped around to see who cried that. It was, nonetheless, Tiny who had spoken. _Why is he so demanding all of a sudden?_ Questions flooded her head as she shot back, "Well, I can't help but do that, weakling!" Fur bristling, Tiny growled softly, "I'll prove it; I'll prove what I can do!" He thrashed around and fled automatically. _What the fluff is he doing?_ Ruby snarled inside her head. _What a stupid furball._ As if nothing happened, she continued to prance along the hallway. Tiny's words echoed inside her mind like an ominous prophecy._ Stop treating me like that! _She shuddered; Tiny wasn't what he seemed to be after all. Could there be _something_, just something she never saw in him? A soft reverberate vibrated across her ears like lightning. _I'll prove it. I'll prove what I can do. _Now Ruby was trembling, thinking more and more about the black tom she had always bullied.

_I'll prove it. I'll prove what I can do!_ It was haunting her! Why were Tiny's words so sinister? _Ugh! Stop it, stop it!_ Ruby yowled painfully. _Stop—_ it came again— _Stop treating me like—_ _no, stop echoing in my head!_— _I will prove_— _NO!_ She shut her eyes with excruciating pain. Rolling on the floor with her paws over her ears, she wailed, "Stop! Stop! STOP—"

"What are you doing, Ruby?" a kind, genuine voice sounded inside her. _No, it's _outside _me, _Ruby realized. A pale gray she-cat much older than her was staring down caringly at her. _Mother!_ Struggling to regain balance, she howled, "It's all Tiny's fault!" She described how she had encountered the tom, and how her brother had growled bleakly at her. Blinking, her mother meowed, "I'm sure Tiny feels bad when you two make fun of him all the time and don't allow him to play. You do that all the time to him, why can't he do that to you just once?" From Quince's tone, Ruby could tell that she didn't believe in her at all.

Walking past her mother, Ruby sighed heavily. _Why can't Mother_— _"I'm sure Tiny feels bad when you two make fun of him all the time."— Oh, no!_ Ruby thought with annoyance. _Could this ever stop — "You do that all the time to him"—_ _darn it, it's that all over again? Why does what everyone say haunt me so much? _— _"—why can't he do that to you just once?"_ Shaking the words off her head, she mewed mutinously, "I don't care how he feels! I care about what _I _feel!" Realizing she had said that aloud, she turned around to see her mother's reaction. Quince's gaze read: _But that's exactly the problem, my dear._ Her mother's look enraged her so much that she wanted to unsheathe her claws and rake her mother's face.

Once again, the most menacing words screeched through her mind. _I'll prove it… I'll prove what I can do… _Ruby desired to kill herself after hearing the words once again.

_I'm sure Tiny feels bad when you two make fun of him all the time…_

_You do that all the time to him… why can't he do that just once?_

_… Stop treating me like that!_

_I'll prove it._

_I'll prove what I can do._


	3. Gone?

**Chapter Three**

**Gone?**

As the crisp, clear evening air swirled inside her nostrils, Ruby yawned and stretched widely. It was a moon since the day voices of Quince and Tiny echoed inside her head continuously. Ruby was no longer concerned about the black kit; for all she cared at this very moment was her questions. Quince was going to bring them outside for the first time! _How exciting is that? _Her excitement zigzagged inside her mind. In the morning, she knew she had to focus on something else to stay put. Quince taught her and Socks fighting that morning. They batted their paws and rolled around blissfully as Tiny watched miserably on the side. Her mother instructed them brightly, and they fought playfully, glowering at each other mockingly.

"Ruby, Socks, can you teach me fighting too?" whimpered small little Tiny. _Miserable kit,_ Ruby thought the moment she glared at him. Tiny returned a pathetic smile. "No, you're too small, you'll be beat up in a second!" she snarled before she stalked off to play in another place with Socks, leaving Tiny's blue eyes glimmering with hurt. _If only he would understand that we don't want him,_ thought Ruby furiously. As the thought came to her head, she realized that her fur was bristling, spiking up sharply. She and Socks sighed; it was boring to have a wimpy brother. But when Quince brought them outside, nothing mattered.

Pouncing out of the door, she, Socks, and Tiny burst outside with joy glistening in their eyes. It was a whole new world to the kits. Lush green plants rose from the earth, and fresh grass embraced her nose. She could scent wild berries on small bushes, the scarlet apples dropping from distant trees, the faint whiff of rainwater and thunderclouds faraway, and almost anything she could ever imagine. Placing her paws on the dew-dappled grass for the first time, Ruby yowled, "I love this place!" Quickly she and Socks adapted the strong smell of freshness the outside world contained. When she poked her head out of windows, she could just _smell _it, but now she could _feel _it. Wind whipped their pelts and lifted her fur lightly as she danced blissfully with the rhythm of the outside world. Soon, she and Socks began to play-fight, with Tiny watching helplessly at the side. She knew exactly what he must be thinking: _Why don't they let me play? All I want is for my brother and sister to like me._ The pitiable kit stared at the two as they pounded each other with their paws violently.

Then, their housefolk came out, bringing a stick with a string attached to it. On the edge of the string, tied to it, was a fluffy long strip. They wagged it around the air, and immediately, Ruby and her brother shot towards it like lightning. Pawing the furry strip playfully, Ruby laughed along with Socks and the housefolk. Tiny gazed at them. _Does he think _he _can join us?_ Ruby snarled at Tiny. The tom backed off, then straightened boldly. He sprinted toward the feathery strip, and clawed it off. Ruby was sure her amber eyes had widened until it couldn't anymore. Gleefully Tiny meowed, "I got it!" Her eyes blazing with hatred, Ruby growled, "That's not how you play it! I knew it; it's no fun to play with you!" Tiny glanced at his surroundings. No one seemed to be happy. Even the housefolk were frowning. Angrily, Ruby stalked away with her older brother. _He's so stupid!_ Giving her wimpy brother a last glare, she padded away.

The naive look on Tiny soon disappeared, and formed an upset glower. Gloomily, he continued to explore the outside with a disappointed face. Ruby returned to their room, and lay down on the soft mat the housefolk had given them along with Socks. _Tiny spoiled it all over again._ Her consciousness was washed away along with her fury by her sleep.

"Ruby, Socks, Tiny, it's time for feeding time again!" called Quince loudly. Ruby's amber gaze regained energy as she climbed up from the mat she was napping in. She padded to her bowl, which was finally refilled with water and brown chunks since yesterday. _Not milk today?_ Ruby whined inside her head. _Oh well. Water's good enough to quench my thirst._ She began to lick the water, finishing it within a heartbeat. Then she took a big bite on her russet chunks. Stuffily she swallowed the flavorless food, when suddenly, she heard her mother yowl wearily, "Tiny? Where are you?" Ruby's tawny eyes glinted. _Tiny's gone?_


	4. Search For Tiny

**Chapter Four**

**Search For Tiny**

Annoyed, Ruby scampered through the passageway lazily, whipping her head around whenever a new scent tinged onto her nose, grumbling, "Tiny? Are you there?" She scurried in the hallways, staring at her surroundings each time she stopped. _I'm the best tracker in the world, _growled Ruby. _Why can't I find Tiny? I want to get this over with!_ Placing her nose close to the cold floor, she quivered as a cool breeze trailed in from the windows. Her belly groaned loudly, annoying her. _How come I'm hungry again?_ Ruby pounded the floor with her paws. _Feeding time was merely a heartbeat ago!_ Crawling onto the flat, icy surface of the floor, she crept onto the base quickly.

When Quince called for feeding time, Tiny didn't come. Tiny usually came first, but this time, he didn't and that was it. Quince got so worried when she couldn't find Tiny; Ruby was sickened by her mother's attitude towards Tiny. So she, Socks, and Quince began searching for the small black tom. But wherever and however Ruby looked, she couldn't find her brother. _What a dumb furball, _she thought cruelly. _Wasting my precious time!_ Stalking through the hallways, she yowled, "Tiny! Where are you? Get out of your hiding place!" As her voice echoed in the long corridor, she growled when no reply returned. When she entered the living room, something caught her eyes.

_The small door leading to the outside world._ Since Tiny was never good at hide-and-seek (he mewled to much), and was nowhere in the house, he must be _there. _Outside, exploring, or just sitting there enjoying the breeze. He _must _be there, no matter what. Fleetly, she pounced towards it. Within a flash, she was outside. Once again the fresh air embraced her. Ruby gazed out into the vast world. Shaking her head, she scolded herself, _No, that's not the point of coming out right now._ She pressed her nose against the spiky grass, hoping it wouldn't harm her. A strong scent of Tiny mingled onto the fresh fragrance of grass. _Tiny's been here! _Pushing her snout even closer against the ground, she scented a trail of his scent, leading to a hole in the fence that blocked his way to the forest. _Oh, I still remember. When Socks and I walked away because Tiny spoiled the game, Tiny began to ask Mother millions of questions about the forest. It turned out Father had explored the outside before! _Her brother must've gone exploring. _But he won't make it back as far as I care!_ Amber eyes gleaming smugly, she stepped back into the house.

"Ouch!" grunted Socks as Ruby punched his black, exposed belly with her small gray paws. "You deserved it," meowed Ruby mockingly. "You were the one who gave away your belly!" They were playing the game they had invented two moons ago, "Hide-Fight-Seek". It could be played by two kits or more (except they never included Tiny), and the rules were to have both of them hide somewhere and creep towards each other quietly. They have to find where the other kit was first, and then attack him or her. Ruby and Socks were no longer searching for their useless brother, and Quince was worried sick. Although Ruby knew where Tiny was, she didn't bother to tell her mother, though guilt was beginning to expand inside her belly. She had pleaded the housefolk for some more water and ginger chunks along with Socks, and with their bellies full they began to play. Quince was upset with them. Not just upset, but fairly cross.

She was half-wailing when she pleaded, "Oh, Ruby, Socks! How can you two not have the littlest worries for your brother? Where _could _he be?" When Ruby saw the desperate look in her mother's eyes, the words "The forest" nearly spilled out of her mouth. _Nearly._ Staring at the ceiling of the nest, she wondered, _Why had Tiny gone into the forest?_ Though she was curious, she'd be fairly fine if Tiny never came back to answer her questions. Suddenly she heard her mother storm through the house, her pawsteps loud as thunder. _Mother's going insane! I must tell her where Tiny is, then,_ she told herself. She couldn't stand upsetting her mother, though she would be perfectly fine leaving Tiny behind. _I don't want Mother to go crazy,_ she replied to herself.

"Mother!" yowled Ruby, and in a flash, Quince emerged from the hallways, looking concerned. "Did you find Tiny?" the pale gray she-cat fretted. Sighing, Ruby replied, "I know where he—"

"I'm back!" A squeaky voice sounded from the outside ever so loudly. _Tiny,_ Ruby realized. _He made it back!_ Quince, Ruby, and Socks treaded outside, and saw the small black tom scampering towards them. On full volume, she and her brother yelled, "Did you get lost? Were you scared?" Quince was shouting joyfully, "Tiny! Where have you been?" _Oh, it's back to normal boredom all over again,_ sighed Ruby. _Tiny's back and everything will be the same. _

Their mother was so delighted that the small tom was back. That was, until Tiny meowed the words.

"The forest! I've been in the forest!"


	5. Lies and Wonders

**Hey sorry guys for the long wait. Interesting things are about to start in Ruby and her brother's lives...**

**Chapter Five**

**Lies and Wonders**

"Really! I climbed a tower, and I even caught a dried leaf! Believe me!" pleaded Tiny as he trotted around them swiftly. "I really did that! I promise!" Ruby rolled her eyes. What was the point of trying so hard to convince them about a very-fake lie? How could Tiny have done all those amazing things? There wasn't even a point in believing him. Quince smiled warmly, and meowed, "Of course, Tiny. Now come and eat your food. You missed feeding time." Upset, Tiny stormed into the house, his head dropped low. Satisfied, Ruby knew that Quince didn't believe in Tiny either. She and Socks quietly snickered; their lying brother was hopeless. Tiny continued to boast about what it was like in the forest, and he almost made Ruby want to go for it herself. Of course she knew Tiny was lying about his "Great Adventures", but he made the forest sound so exciting and magnificent, it almost seemed like a place where her brother did not deserved to go to.

Silently, she watched the small black tom lick the water up rapidly, and then observed him as he gobbled down the tan chunks. He was much more excited than usual, Ruby noticed. Could his "adventures" really have been true? Shaking the thought away, Ruby told herself, _No, that's impossible. Tiny is weak and he can't do anything!_ She still remembered Tiny's silly lies! Laughing to herself, she quickly staggered upward to play Hide, Fight, and Seek with Socks. When they began to play, Tiny mewled, "Hey, can I play, too? I really toughened up in the forest, I really did!" He batted his paws, punching nothing. Rolling her eyes, Ruby replied, "Yeah, right." Socks echoed her words, and she narrowed her eyes at him curtly. "Socks, let's play now." Compliantly, Socks began to count to ten, and they both hid. Ruby hid behind the couch, and waited for the tom's count to stop along with hers. When they reached ten, Ruby dropped down and crouched towards her brother. He was easy to find with the black pelt of his. She sniffed the rug, and crept towards the dark shape under the table.

"Ha!" Ruby's short claws caught his glossy black fur, and the black tom growled in annoyance. "How come you find me all the time?" Smugly, Ruby licked her paw with delicate strokes. "I am good at tracking things down." Socks' ears pricked, and the tom replied, "Then how come you didn't find Tiny?" Narrowing her amber gaze at the curious tom, she searched for an excuse in her mind. "Er— I didn't expect he would be in the forest." Socks' big blue eyes were still inquiring. "Then how come you didn't follow his scent out into the forest?" Annoyed, Ruby shot back, "What do you think I am, a magical, starry cat?" Flushing, Socks backed off nervously, and padded away quickly.

Two moons passed after that. It was finally time for the kits to leave Quince. They would have new housefolk. It was a big day for all of them. Ruby knew no Twoleg would want to bring Tiny home. They'd probably think he was sick, and not want to get close to him. But Tiny didn't seem to care, nor know anything about getting new housefolk. That day, according to Quince, a group of Twolegs would come to their nest and pick out kits to bring home. Still, the black tom with one white paw raced off to the forest. _How can he not be worried if he doesn't get picked?_ Ruby thought. Then an idea emerged in her head. _I can use this well,_ she thought. _I can _exile _him, or something! I could trick him away…_

But, curious, she still followed her brother into the forest. Fern bushes seemed to glower at her as she pursued her brother. The tall trees were as tall as thirty of her, and she was scared whenever the rustle of leaves mice and more creatures caused sounded out in her ears. She was prickly, and frightened by the thick forest floor. _How can Tiny seem so used to this forest? It's so icky—_ her thought was knocked off as she heard a loud _thump_. Peeking from the bushes, she saw Tiny lying down, injured, with a dark brown tabby tom with long front claws standing in front of him. Her fur bristled. What was happening? Making sure she was well-concealed, she silently crept into the dark bramble bushes. Another tom and a blue-gray she-cat were standing behind them. Her ears flattened as she saw the dark brown tabby claw her brother ruthlessly. She didn't know if she should thank him or hate him for clawing her brother. But it was a horrendous sight, and she could bear no more.

She ran away. What scars would Tiny be left with? Ruby shuddered to imagine. She couldn't believe she had actually left her brother. No matter how horrible she was, would a cat ever abandon their brother like that? Trembling, she stuffed her face into her mother's gray fur, pretending she had seen nothing. And for the moons to come, she would still never show the tinge of love she ever had for Tiny. She'd be ruthless and cruel to him.

_I know I'm right,_ she told herself halfheartedly. _I'm… confident in that. Tiny will be okay. But I will not be nice. I don't need him… I never will! _Her fur flattened. _Will I? What if some cat was torturing me like that, too? Would Tiny save me from all the tormenting? _

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**SORRY! I don't know what color Thistleclaw is. So I stuck with "Another tom". Lame huh? Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's my longest one so far! Review review review! Pretty please with a Ruby plushie on top!**

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	6. Meet Pine, And Pinestar

**Hey everyone. Writing this is certainly getting interesting... This is my fav chappy so far!! So READ IT and REVIEW!! :) Thanx! I also found out that Thistleclaw is a gray tom with three darker gray legs , ears and tail, and white-tipped tail and white tinged around his muzzle. OMG! So fancy huh...**

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**Chapter Six**

**Meet Pine, And Pinestar**

Staring down at her own paws, Ruby panted emotionally. She had done it. She finally did it; she had gotten her brother Tiny out of her life— forever! Lifting her gaze tiredly, she allowed a Twoleg kit to pick her up. The Twoleg kit's "paw" was rough and tan, but she had golden fur on her head. Her new housefolk. She wasn't particularly sad to leave Quince or anything, but something just made her mouth sour and her throat stuck. Tiny would be gone soon; gone from Ruby, and she didn't care. At least she thought she didn't. Telling him a big lie, causing him to run away wouldn't kill Tiny, would it? Mewling at the Twoleg, she let her pet her head with a pair of hairless paws. _Well, I wasn't really telling a lie,_ Ruby attempted to explain herself. _Who knows what would happen to a kit that wasn't adopted? Maybe they really _would _throw them into the river. I would be saving Tiny then!_ Leaping off the arms of her new housefolk, she flounced at their side. _But… was that really right to do?_ She shook her head, knocking off the thoughts. _Tiny seems to be perfectly happy in that forest! He'll go to the forest and have a good life!_ Suddenly, a memory flashed inside her head.

_The dark brown tabby tom, beating Tiny up._ Shuddering, Ruby sighed and told herself, _It is none of my business! Ha! I am glad that he is gone forever, probably killed by the wild cats or something!_ She pounced beside her other brother, Socks. "Hey, Socks. You know what I told Tiny?" Socks grinned widely, and replied, "Yes! I know. It was smart of you to tell him that! He really believed it, didn't he? Did you see the fear in his eyes?" Smiling, Ruby admired how her brother could stay so delightful when his brother was probably dead. _I should be like that, too!_ Ruby scolded herself furiously. _After all, I was the one who told Tiny that… lie._ She climbed onto the Twoleg vehicle that they used to travel, compressed in along with her brother. Only she and Socks were adopted. Tiny had been in the forest. Ruby knew it was the small tom's fault that he wasn't adopted. He was just adventuring recklessly in the vast region, and when he returned, Ruby and Socks were already adopted. Ruby herself had hissed at him curtly, "All kits not adopted will be _thrown into the river_." The moment the fake, lying words slipped out of her mouth, Tiny's eyes were like huge, gleaming sapphires dappled with fear.

"I wonder what it will be like," Socks continued cheerfully, "To have new housefolk and a new home." Ruby just nodded, her eyes glinting with annoyance. If only _she _were that full of joy, with no worries. Envious of Socks, Ruby scowled. Socks cocked his head at his sister's reaction, meowing, "What are you grimacing about?" Confused at herself, she lowered her amber gaze at the black tom.

"Nothing," she lied again. "I just feel weird that we're going to live by ourselves, without Mother." Her words rasped out and croaked weakly like a dying frog speaking. She watched her brother shoot her a skeptical and puzzled glance, in which she returned a sharp one. Pretending nothing happened, her brother started all over again. "Anyways," he was mewing, "I understand. We would miss Mother, but ha! We wouldn't miss _Tiny_!" He growled playfully, rolling back and forth as their new housefolk rubbed his belly with its— _paws_. Ruby was interested in their looks. How come Twolegs walked on two legs, had no fur or whiskers, claws, or tails? Instead they had hairless bodies, and their pink "paws" were separated into five thin, claw-like pieces that were round and tender.

When the door of the vehicle opened, she and Socks leaped out of it. Their new nest was just a few pawsteps away from their old nest, but it was more far away from the forest. Still, Ruby could spot the greenery behind the house. It must be the forest. A reddish brown shape of a cat was sitting by the window inside the house, his amber eyes gleaming. _They already have a cat?_ Ruby asked herself automatically. Turning her own pair of amber eyes on the brown tom, she realized he vaguely reminded her of a certain cat. _The dark brown tabby tom that had beaten Tiny up…!_ In fact, he didn't just remind Ruby of him, he _represented_ him, in a way. He was larger than the dark tabby, but much older and had a pair of piercing amber eyes. Though the dark brown tom had amber eyes like this one, his gaze wasn't quite as piercing.

Swaggering into her new house, she and Socks scanned around to observe their brand-new surroundings. As Ruby launched herself onto a bright red couch, the reddish brown tom approached her. "Hello," he greeted kindly. "My name is Pine." Pleased at the unusual friendliness of the strange, forest-smelling cat, Ruby replied, "My name is Ruby. You remind me of a certain cat…" Her voice trailed off, though she didn't meant it to. Pine dipped his head respectfully, and then meowed, "Who do I remind you of?" Making sure Socks had went elsewhere to explore, she whispered, "I saw a dark brown tabby tom before… in the forest." She began to describe the encounter of Tiny and the wild cats. Pine's dark amber eyes glimmered, and the elderly tom commented, "I think I know that tom. He is my son." Ruby's eyes widened. But— but their presence were so different! Pine was kind, gentle, and frail, but the tom was young, strong, cruel, and ruthless. Nodding, Pine explained, "I used to be a forest cat. I used to be Pinestar, leader of ThunderClan. I used to be from the forest."

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**EEP!! Pinestar, the father of *WARNING: SPOILER ALERT FOR CODE OF THE CLANS* TIGERKIT/PAW/CLAW/STAR!! It's true! This whole story will contain spoilers for Code of the Clans as well, since I made Pinestar a character involved in this. :) Since Pinestar left the Clans to become a kittypet, I thought about letting him meet Ruby and Socks!**


	7. Pine's Stories, Meeting Blaze and Belle

**I have to say sorry. This will be a shorter chapter than usual, because it wasn't very easy to write. Still, please just leave a review, because that's exactly why people post fanfictions. To share it, and get reviews!**

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**Chapter Seven**

**Pine's Stories, Meeting Blaze and Belle**

"Leopardfoot was a lovely sleek black she-cat, and my eyes always shimmered when it met hers," Pinestar meowed. He was telling another story to Ruby and her littermate. "She had three kits for me— Barkkit, Treekit, and Tigerkit. Tigerkit was a sturdy dark brown tabby tom," he shot Ruby a warm glance when he mewed that, "Barkkit was a small reddish brown tom like me, and Treekit was a brown tabby tom with green eyes. I'm afraid I heard from Leopardfoot that Treekit had died shortly after I left. However, according to Leopardfoot, Tigerkit had become Tigerpaw, and Barkkit Barkpaw training to be a medicine cat under Streampuddle's care." Ruby had simply loved Pinestar's stories, for they were so interesting, and held much freshness. He had taught her and her sibling about the Clans in the forest. They learned about the strange warrior code, and bits and bits of Pinestar's life. Then their new housefolk called out something loudly, and Pinestar prodded Ruby and Socks' shoulders. "It is time for feeding," he explained, and the three quickly raced off toward the bowls of milk and russet chunks the housefolk prepared for them. Ruby liked her new housefolk; they always gave them milk. However, she still frantically disliked the brown chunks.

Licking up the snow-white liquid, Ruby purred delightfully. So far, she wasn't missing Quince or Tiny one bit. After the three cats all finished their meal, the housefolk opened the doorway to their yard. Pinestar nudged them, and meowed, "Come on. Let us go outside. Our neighboring cats will be eager to meet you." Ruby nodded and replied gratefully, "Thank you, Pinestar." Pinestar tilted his head and cried, "Please call me Pine, Ruby." Quickly, she dipped her head, and thought, _Pine must not want to be called Pinestar because he doesn't want to remember what he left behind._ After thinking a while, she concluded that she would still call him Pinestar secretly. Then she flounced out of the door. The fresh scent of the outside embraced her, and she remembered the first time she went outside.

A handsome ginger tom with a brilliant fiery orange pelt and bright amber eyes leaped onto the fence separating the two yards. Ruby glanced at him, admiring his lovely pelt, and thought, _So is _he_ our neighbor?_ Then, another cat pounced over the fence. She was a pretty pale golden tabby she-cat with dark yellow eyes and a white-tipped tail and chest. The tabby meowed cheerfully, "Hi! My name is Belle, what is yours?" Shyly, Ruby replied, "My name is Ruby." The ginger tom gazed curiously at her, and mewed, "Hello, Ruby. My name is Blaze. I am Belle's brother." Ruby nodded happily. They were good cats.

Socks padded toward them joyfully, and exclaimed, "And _my_ name is Socks!" The four became engaged in a conversation, and Pinestar watched them on the side, smiling warmly. Blaze urged Pinestar, "Pine, come on. Tell us one of your stories." Purring, Pinestar replied, "My pleasure. Let me tell you about an apprentice in ThunderClan, named Lionpaw. He was the one who discovered my secret of wanting to be a kittypet first. Sunfall was my deputy, and the mentor of Lionpaw, who probably is now Lionheart, under Sunstar's leadership. I was letting our housefolk scratch my ears and my back, and I really enjoyed it. Lionpaw apparently wanted me to see his stalking skills, and stalked me. Unfortunately, he saw what I was doing, and I had to make up a mouse-brained lie. However, he believed me, and we returned back to the camp. But then, one day, I was out doing things with the housefolk again. I wanted to spend my last life as a kittypet. Lionpaw came to find me, because RiverClan had attacked. At the end, I confessed that I had wanted to become a kittypet. So I returned, and the battle was over. We already won, and I told ThunderClan I can no longer be leader of ThunderClan. And so I left. Tigerkit had pounced on my tail, growling. I murmured to him, 'Precious kit, be strong and serve your Clan well.' Then I left, Leopardfoot staring after me, looking betrayed. My other two kits, Barkkit and Treekit just stared in a sickly way at me, as they were young, squirming kits. Tigerkit was strong. I knew he would stay strong, and so I left."

Pinestar had never told either of them the story before, and Ruby was truly awed by his experiences with the Clans. He must have a never-ending collection of stories about his past life! Belle purred, "Pine, where do you get all these ideas for your stories? They are so creative." Pinestar smiled and replied, "Well, my imagination was very fine ever since I was a young kit." Ruby frowned. Belle and Blaze didn't know that what he was saying was true? Her frown quickly twisted into a grin. Only she knew his stories were true. Even her brother, Socks, thought it was made-up and impressive.

Their housefolk let out a piercing shriek in their language, and Pinestar told them they had to return inside the house now. Giving Blaze and Belle one last glance, Ruby padded off, into the house. Ruby could not forget Pinestar's stories and the faces of Blaze and Belle. She knew she would love her new life, and as she thought so, she softly trailed to sleep.

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**I know how lame that ending was, but hey, it was hard to end. If you are reading this right now, LEAVE A REVIEW!**

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	8. Love? Friendship? Life?

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I apologize, this chapter will be pretty short compared to the others. But it gets interesting... Ruby is building a crush on Blaze?! What will happen, when Ruby and Socks stop listening to the housefolk? Read to find out!

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**Chapter Eight**

**Love? Friendship? Life?**

Three moons had passed since the day Ruby met the siblings, Blaze and Belle. She loved her new life a lot, until a strange feeling showed up one day while she shared tongues with Blaze. _What is this feeling?_ Ruby asked herself curiously, as she stared into Blaze's deep, flaming amber eyes. Knocking off the thought, she purred to Blaze, "So how was your grumpy housefolk today?" The ginger tom smiled his dazzling, flashy smile, and replied cheerfully, "Well, today he was just as grumpy. Of course, he wasn't starving us. He just pours down piles of those brown chunks and a giant bowl of water for us. He's always like that." Glancing dreamily at him, Ruby whirred, "It's good to know he's not starving you." Blaze gazed intently into her eyes, and meowed, "Hey, Ruby. Do you think I'd make a good mate for you?" Flushing, she replied, slightly smug, "I'm sure you will."

She could not control her flooding emotions, and she purred delightfully along with Blaze. They jumped up at a loud _thump!_ Then, she told him, "Well, let me go see what Socks is up to now. See you!" Her whiskers twitching madly, she leaped away into the house. Inside, she saw Socks playing Hide, Fight, and Seek with Belle. Laughing a twinkly laugh, Belle exclaimed, "Ruby, your brother is so bad at this game!" Purring, Ruby replied, "I know! He's so easy to find, right?" Every day, Blaze and Belle would come to find them and play with them. Blaze padded inside, and growled, "Hey! Let me join this game, too." So they all hid, and pounced on each other ecstatically.

Pinestar watched them calmly, and meowed, "It is so good to be young." Sniggering, Belle replied, "You bet!" Laughing, Ruby yowled, "I won!" Rolling his eyes, Socks argued, "No you did not!" Chuckling, Belle replied, "Well, even if Ruby didn't win, I'm sure _you _didn't, Socks!" They all burst out laughing, and Pinestar sighed heavily. "So good, so young." Blaze smiled and meowed sweetly, "Oh, Pine, I'm sure you had enough young moments, even now and then." Dipping his head, Pinestar answered, "Yes, I do, but could I have been ever so lively? I just remembered some stories of my kithood, and you know what? I would like to tell you them. Follow; let us march out to the yard."

Zealously, all of the cats followed, until suddenly their housefolk let out an intense yelp. Immediately, Pinestar shot around and leaped into the Twoleg's arms. Figuring she had to do the same, Ruby turned to face Blaze and Belle. "Guess we got to go," she mewed sadly, and then padded toward the housefolk. Glaring at her Twoleg, she let out a small growl. The dumb creature even seemed amused when she glowered at her. _How dare you waste my playtime! _Her back fur innocent-looking housefolk let out a soft snicker. Ruby didn't like it. It was the first time she felt upset in the new house. As she stared back at the closed glass door to the yard, she saw Blaze mouth some words.

She knew exactly what it was: _I will sneak in._ Blaze was about to sneak into the house to find her, just her. He was doing this just for her. She felt delighted, and brightened up within a heartbeat. She studded into she, Socks, and Pine's room absentmindedly, finding that a ginger tom had already snuck into the room from the window. He gave her a small wink. "Hello, Ruby." Whiskers twitching with emotion, Ruby meowed, "Hello, Blaze!" She liked him so much. Their tails twined as they groomed each other's pelts.

Licking Blaze's bright, blazing ginger pelt, Ruby mewed, "How did you sneak in here?" Snickering, the orange tom replied, "Easy. Your housefolk never close your window. Only at night," he gave her a swift lick as he said so, "And I can come visit you any time in the day." Pressing her pelt against his, she asked him, "Will you?" Blaze nodded, and soon, he left after sharing tongues with Ruby.

The same pattern continued for days. Ruby and Belle became great friends, and Ruby fell slightly in love with Blaze. He was such a sweet tom; Ruby always wondered why Belle said he was an annoying brat. It was one day when the housefolk shrieked for Socks and Ruby, that both of them refused to go to them. It was that love for Blaze, that friendship for Belle, that made the two lose their tight, strong lives. But, however much they lost, Ruby could not regret one bit of her loving Blaze or her being so close to Belle. What else could they lose? She didn't think it would be much of a matter, as long as Blaze was with her. Even if the housefolk always got upset with her and Socks, nothing mattered… until that day.

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**OOH! Cliffie! Sorry, it's a cliffie xD**

**But I promise I will update soon!! xD Excited? RubyBlaze xD Personally I think they are quite cute together. But what else will happen??**

**Review! And read and await to find out! xD**


	9. Gone And Back

**Yes! Be happy! This is like, my longest chapter ever. Well, not sure. But I'm not going to waste my time to check! Now you shall know the reason why their housefolk abandoned Ruby and Socks. If you still don't understand after reading this, PM me! xD Thanks for your previous reviews, now REVIEW THIS RIGHT AFTER YOU READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END! Thanks to all my reviewers!! ^^ Please note that I will only love you if you review! Just kidding. ENJOY!**

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**Chapter Nine**

**Gone**

Ruby was confused. So was her brother. Why had their new housefolk thrown them out of the house? All they did was ignore them unless they gave them food. Maybe they were just devastated, and wanted to stay by themselves. Devastated by Pinestar's death, probably. Ruby and Socks were very upset, too. But was that enough to drive the Twolegs into kicking them out of the house? It was already ten moons since Ruby and Socks first arrived at the house. There was much to keep up with. That morning, the housefolk shouted for the siblings while they played with Blaze and Belle. She and Socks merely glanced back and them and continued to play. That made the Twolegs' day. They were upset with Ruby and Socks' attitude. Pinestar always listened to them, and they weren't used to noncompliant cats. The reddish brown tom leaped toward them frailly. They scratched his back and ears as he purred gratefully. Pinestar was delighted all the time to be with the housefolk, but Ruby and Socks enjoyed Blaze and Belle's company better.

She, Socks, Blaze, and Belle stared as Pinestar allowed the Twoleg to scratch his muzzle with their huge, hairless paws. Then he went limp. Just like that. The Twoleg jumped up hysterically, letting the reddish brown body slip onto the floor. The four youngsters watched in horror. _Oh, no!_ Ruby cried. _Pinestar died because he's too old!_ She and Belle burst into tears. Anguished, the Twoleg screamed loudly. Gazing at Blaze, she meowed, "I guess we should go now." Blaze's intent dark golden eyes laid on her. "Don't," he rasped, wrapping her with his plumy tail. "Stay with me." Ruby stared back into his eyes with her own bright amber ones. She had to resist… But she couldn't. She loved him too much… Socks would not go unless his sister went. They always stayed together. Ruby glanced gratefully at Socks until the Twoleg screeched furiously and stormed into the yard. The four cats backed off slightly, glaring at the Twoleg with pure fear. Ruby scented her own fear-scent, mingling with Socks', Blaze's, and Belle's. The mad Twoleg grabbed Ruby and her brother violently, and as they struggled, brought them to the door of the house. She tossed the two siblings out. Out of the door. And that was it. Now the situation led to Ruby and Socks were facing. They didn't know what to do at all.

"Maybe they are just testing our survival skills," Socks suggested cheerfully. Ruby shook her head gravely, and meowed, "I don't think so, Socks. I think they've thrown us out for good." Fear glinted in Socks' enormous liquor blue eyes. "You think?" Ruby nodded. She was utterly sure of that. The Twolegs had often been upset with them for avoiding them. _If only we didn't do that,_ she wailed. _I would've been able to stay with Blaze then…_ Her heart thumped. The realization shoved her into a slight depression. She would probably never see her love again.

She could just imagine his beautiful dappled golden-brown eyes shimmering like starlight at her a heartbeat ago. But now everything was gone. Socks wept angrily, "How could they just throw us away like trash?" Shaking her head, Ruby sighed. "I have no idea," she stated simply. "But we're on our own now." All they could do was wander around the Twoleg street for the next few days. Occasionally they would find some food, and some nice cats on the street sometimes offered them mice or chicken. They were always grateful, and ate the prey quickly. At first Ruby was stunned by how good the mice tasted. Same with the chicken. Those plump, feathery creatures didn't look tasty at all. Water was scarce, but not hard to find. They could often come across with a rain puddle or such. But it was easy to get into huge fights just for a small sip of rainwater. However, the siblings' luck ran well, and they always got to eat enough, and drink enough.

One day, she and Socks roamed in the streets, searching for food and water as usual. They hadn't been able to find much food or water for half a moon. The two were starving, and whenever a cat looked at them, they would think they were colored skeletons of cats. Ruby's pale gray pelt got so thin that every of her bone was visible. Her thoughts often wandered near the topic of Blaze. _Would Blaze still love me when I look like this?_ She padded weakly with the cold stony floor under her pads. A creamy brown tabby shape emerged in front of them. Quivering at the cool breeze, Ruby greeted softly, "Hello, Maple." The cream and brown tabby she-cat with a white-tipped tail and dark green eyes flicked her tail in greeting. Maple had helped them survive on the streets ever since they were kicked out. Socks seemed to adapt a huge crush on the she-cat, and Maple seemed to like him back. _That is good,_ Ruby thought. _If Maple likes Socks, then we have a better chance of surviving._ Ruby and Maple quickly became quite good friends, too— though not as good as she was with Belle. A few toms such as Scorch, a very dark ginger tom with dark gray paws and amber eyes, or Grip, a dark brown tabby tom with a white-tipped tail, chest, muzzle, and gray-blue eyes, showed interest in Ruby. But Ruby could never love them. Blaze was all around her head.

"I think we can find some food today!" Maple announced cheerily. Cocking her head, Ruby purred, "Really? That would be good, because we apparently cannot find any." She couldn't help but add a bit of sarcasm in her voice. Smiling, Maple mewed, "There is a king of these streets; did you know that? I heard he fought off dogs! It was amazing. My friend Jon was one of the viewers who saw him chase away the dog. His name is Scourge. He doesn't look tough, and he's so tiny, but he dominates these streets." Ruby sniffed rudely when she heard the word _tiny_. Quickly, she asked, "What does he look like?"

Still gleeful, Maple replied, "Oh, he's this very small black tom with one white paw and icy blue eyes." Ruby's eyes widened. It had to be him… but it was _impossible_! Tiny would be dead by then… And… But she was quite sure it was him. Tiny was here, with a different position. Shocked, she couldn't help but whisper to Socks softly, "B-but I thought he was gone!"

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**Yes, yes. I made Pinestar go-die. But that's because the dude is just too old, and I dunno what else I should do with him except for kill him off. Now, this shall get exciting... OMS! Ruby finds out that Tiny is still alive?! OMS! What will she do?! Of course, ask for food. He dominates da streets. xD**

**Now, because I am curious and I tend to make your reviews more interesting, may you tell me who your favorite characters are so far in your review? xD Sorry if it's Pinestar! xD**

**Well, next chappy I will add an allegiances for my story here. You SHOULD know about their colorings. And remember to read and review my stories: Flaw, Hearts, and OLYMPICS!! xD See ya!**


	10. Changed

**Now you shall venture into a manga part. Of course, not the Maple parts, but yeah! OMS! What will Ruby learn?!**

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**Chapter Ten**

**Changed**

"B-but I thought he was gone!" Ruby whispered softly into her brother's left ear, unaware of the bewilderment in her voice. Socks stared right back at her, his blue eyes gleaming fearfully. "I don't know, Ruby," he replied truthfully. "I think he survived." Maple glanced at them, her green eyes glittering with confusion. Quickly, Socks explained, "There is a great chance that this… _Scourge_ may be our brother Tiny." Ruby quickly added, "We're quite positive he is." Maple's eyes flickered with amusement, and then she meowed smugly, "Excellent! Then we _should_ be able to get lots of food from him!" _Maybe not_, Ruby thought. Now she regretted being mean to Tiny, or ever thinking she'd never need him.

Maple sensed the odd way Ruby and Socks were acting, and demanded, "What is it?" Ruby shifted her paws, and then admitted, "We weren't very nice to him." Maple's flashy smile quickly dropped into a frown. "Why? He's so amazing!" Glancing at Socks, Ruby noticed that Socks was frowning as well. _He doesn't like how Maple thinks Tiny is amazing,_ Ruby giggled helplessly. Noticing the look on Socks' face and Ruby's giggle, Maple's back fur bristled quickly. "I still like you best, Socks! Don't be upset." Blinking, Socks smiled widely.

"We'll still try, though," Socks mewed brightly, "For you." Grinning, Maple replied, "Then you two go, now. I will wait here and clean up our nests first." She walked back to an empty dark alley with piles of hay and moss there. Those were their nests. _What a pity,_ Ruby thought, sighing. After Maple instructed them on how to get to Scourge's quarters, they walked onto the streets, and Socks exclaimed, "Did you hear that? She loves me!" Ruby smiled and answered her brother kindly, "Yes, and you love her too, don't you?" Shyly, Socks nodded. _Oh, _Ruby thought. _If only I could be so happy over Blaze saying he loved me, too. I miss him so much._ Knocking off the thought, she quickly stared up, and saw a wide, dark alley.

_That must be Scourge's place, _Ruby thought, remembering Maple's description of a huge, shadowy alley. So they padded into the alley, only seeing two huge cats standing at the entrance. _Guards, _Ruby gasped. Scourge was strong enough to have _guards_? There was a huge black-and-white tom with green eyes and a scar between his eyes, and a ginger tom. The ginger tom snarled, "Who are you? How dare you step close to Scourge's place?" The large black-and-white tom flicked his tail at the ginger tom and meowed, "Stop, Brick. Why do you two come here? Do you wish to see Scourge?"

Nervously, Ruby stammered, "W-we wish to see him, yes." Brick demanded, "What makes you think you can see him?" The bigger tom stared at them and asked coldly, "Yes, why?" Socks stuttered his words. "W-we're h-his s-siblings." The two toms glared at them skeptically. But the green-eyed black-and-white tom still mewed, "Very well. You can go see him and risk your own lives if you are not. Run if you are lying, right now." Ruby and Socks didn't move, though they were scared. Suddenly the tom's muscles tensed, and he mewed, "I am Bone. This is Brick," he introduced, flicking his tail at the ginger tom. "We will bring you to see Scourge, since you are so confident." _No, we're not, _Ruby almost whispered.

Bone and Brick led them into the alleyway slowly. Ruby glanced at Brick's fur, and noticed it would look very much like Blaze's beautiful fur if it weren't so dull, dirty, and muffled up. _No, _Ruby fretted, _It will never be like Blaze's fur. _Shadows loomed across their faces as they entered the murky path. Finally, they reached an end, and Ruby lifted her gaze to see a black tom with a white paw and icy blue eyes sitting on a massive pile of moss, sticks, ferns, and hay. Beside the pile were hills of bones of prey, one on each side. Ruby shuddered. What had her brother become? And did she herself influence all this? The small black tom lifted his piercing gaze to look at the arrival. _He has grown larger, _Ruby observed. _And colder._

There was actually a flash of surprise in Scourge— _Tiny_'s— frosty blue eyes at first. Then he quickly recovered from the shock, and demanded, "Who are these two?" Ruby winced. His voice got higher-pitched, and she noticed a purple collar on his neck studded with teeth— _dog _teeth. He had fastened claws on top of his own as well— dog claws, too. Tiny was different. He wasn't Tiny anymore. He was Scourge, and this cat, no matter what the history was, would kill. Bone tilted his head suspiciously, and mewed, "These two asked to see you. They claimed they knew you."

"Ruby? Socks?" Scourge whispered softly, his eyes wide. Ruby was almost surprised that he still remembered them. _Of course, _she thought bitterly. _We've tortured him._ Boldly, Ruby meowed, "Y-yes. We came here to see if you can give us some food…" Her voice trailed off. She was frightened. She was frightened of _Tiny_. Scourge snarled, "Why should I give you food?! It isn't my fault if you two are too weak or stupid to find your own food! My own cats can barely find their own food!"

Her fur bristling defiantly, Ruby protested, "But we're littermates! Does blood mean anything to you?!" Scourge glared icily at her, piercing her heart. "Oh, yes," he growled. "Blood is everything. But the only blood that matters is the shed blood of my enemies. Bone, Brick. Give them a share of food. But don't think I will let you again," he bared his sharp teeth at his littermates. He hissed, "Next time any cat from my Clan sees you in my territory, you will be immediately chased out or killed." Shaken, Ruby and Socks nodded unsteadily. Bone and Brick led them to a pile of food, and they picked out two skinny mice and a bony squirrel.

For the first time, Ruby regretted. She regretted ever being mean to Scourge, or, Tiny. Now she felt how Tiny must've felt when he was rejected by his siblings. Scourge had revenged, in the iciest way ever. Ruby felt like her heart was frozen. It was the first time she felt that. _I'm sorry, _she mouthed at the sky. Then they carried the food back to Maple, and searched for water for the rest of the day.

"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered as she walked away from the alleyway. "I'm so sorry, Tiny." Tiny had changed, and it wasn't in a good way... All thanks to her.

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**OMS! Ruby finally regrets!! xD Lucky you! I am not ending this until about two more chapters. Although Ruby regretted, and I am not so fond of Ruby, I shall give her a happy ending and let her regret FULLY... and give a tribute to both Pinestar and Scourge! You shall see...**

**And I will only reveal the Allegiances after the Epilogue. I just realized putting the Allegiances would be a SPOILER! xD**

**Of course, most of the things I made up in the Allegiances, such as... Blaze xD (He was a big favorite), and Belle! And Maple. Sadly, I had to kill Pinestar off! And lots of people loved that original dude, too. xD SORRY! **

**Everyone who reviews...**

**GET RUBY AND BLAZE PLUSHIES! Love you guys! xD**

**~~Rainy**


	11. Reunion

**Sniffles... I can't believe _Ruby_ is nearing an end! Should I write a sequel?? _Ruby_ was extremely fun to write, thanks to all my reviewers and all you guys reading this! Please support Ruby to the end!**

**Final Chapter**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Reunion**

Warm, Ruby lay down cozily in the barn. It was a fabulous new home for her. Some Twolegs adopted them: Ruby, Socks, Maple, Honey, and Gem. There were always new things to explore and play with, and the Twolegs whether let them catch their own food, or give them brown chunks. Ruby had long learned the techniques of hunting. Now she felt that it was so much easier to get water or food. Her life got along easily. She glanced at Maple and her kits, who were suckling. She had longed to have kits of her own. She and Blaze's kits. It was absolutely impossible to forget him. Maple's kits for Socks were Honey and Gem. Honey was a sweet small cream tabby she-cat with a white-tipped tail and pale blue eyes. Gem was a pretty pale gray she-cat with huge bright green eyes.

Many moons had passed since the visit to Scourge. Ruby could never forget that day. Her brother had changed so much, because of her. And that soon influenced her to regret. She regretted, for the first time ever, for being so mean to Tiny. After that, Maple, Ruby, and Socks traveled to an odd Twolegplace. There were rows of herbs and vegetables, and small barns and houses. The Twolegs that owned the Twolegplace soon adopted them, and were always kind to them. In return, Maple, Ruby, and Socks helped them catch the rabbits or mice that nibble on their plants. Maple had Socks' kits, and Socks was delighted. They were a small family. Only Ruby still felt lonely after that.

One day, she roamed around the paths near the Twolegplace. Sighing, she glanced up at the sky. Warm scents unraveled around her, and a familiar one trailed near. A soft voice echoed across the path. "Ruby? Is that you?" Ruby shot around. Was she seeing illusions? Was she hearing things?

_"Blaze!"_ she cried out, surprised. Standing before her was the familiar handsome ginger tom, with that brilliant blazing pelt and those sweet, bright amber eyes. She leaped over to touch noses with him. The tom seemed to still be in shock. "Ruby? Is it true? Am I not hallucinating? Are you… Ruby?" Ruby nodded emotionally, tears flowing out of her eyes. She placed her head on his shoulder, and licked his muffled up fur flat.

"What have you been through?" she demanded. Blaze gazed at her with love. "I-I left our housefolk, to find you! It was hard for me, but Belle accepted my choices. I-I love you! I had to be with you! So I roamed around for so many moons… I nearly starved! But it doesn't matter now! B-because I found you!" He was trembling with joy. Ruby was the same. _All for me?_ She was touched. Licking Blaze lovingly, she mewed, "I love you, too. Much more than you can possibly imagine!" Blaze grinned back with his flashy smile. _Nothing about him changed, _Ruby thought joyfully. _He's still gorgeous… His smile is just as beautiful… He's just as loving! _

They intertwined their tails, and pressed their pelts against each other. She was with him again… Her Blaze! She couldn't possibly describe her emotion. Like that, they padded into the barn house. _I love him_, she cried happily. _And he loves me, too! _Now she knew how Socks must've felt when Maple said she liked Socks. But this was even more. She was with Blaze! That was all that mattered to her…

**~~Two Moons Later~~**

A yowl of pain shrieked across the barn house. Maple yowled, "It's coming!" A sac tumbled out as Ruby screamed. Expertly, Maple nipped open the sac and began licking the wrong way. After two more sacs came, Blaze and Socks did the same, and began to lick like Maple. Soon the three kits warmed up, and Ruby glanced tiredly at them, love and joy gleaming in her eyes. _My kits,_ she thought gleefully. It was the moment she had been dreaming for so long! _My and Blaze's kits!_ There were three kits: two toms and one she-kit.

"I would like to name them like the way Pine said his Clan would name kits, apprentices, and warriors," Ruby declared. The wise old tom's stories never left her mind even once. "When they reach six moons old, I they will have the suffix 'paw. But until then, they will have the suffix 'kit at the back of their names. When they become thirteen moons old, they will receive their warrior names." Blaze nodded gravely. He learned that Pinestar's stories were real, too. They all missed his warm company.

She took a good look at her kits. The eldest was a small black tom with one white paw and warm orange eyes. He reminded Ruby a lot about Scourge. But instead of Scourge's ice-blue eyes, he had such warm orange eyes! "Tinykit," Ruby named him. Then she moved her amber eyes onto the next tom. He was a dark ginger tom with dark brown paws and amber eyes. "Pinekit," she whispered. Just as Pinestar's stories never left her mind, his warm image didn't, either. Pinekit squealed happily. Ruby was glad he liked the name.

The last kit was a dappled golden she-kit with dark yellow eyes and a white chest. Before Ruby could say anything, she heard Blaze murmur, "Belle." Quickly, she nodded. Blaze missed his sister. Ruby twined her tail with his, and they pressed their pelts closely together. "We'll name her Bellkit. Is that fine with you, Blaze?" Gravely, Blaze nodded. As the kits suckled, Ruby thought about their warrior names.

_Bellblaze, for Bellkit. _She combined the siblings' name. She'd never forget Belle. _Pinewood for Pinekit. _She'd loved Pinestar like he was her own father. But her real father was never with them. She'd make sure Pinekit would turn out to be a great cat like Pinestar. _How about…Tinykit?_ The small, young kit was identical-looking to Scourge, her now-cold brother. Except for his eyes. Those beautiful, shining, kind, innocent orange eyes! It was as if there was a warm fire inside each of the eyes. _Fire! Tinyfire._

The moment she set her eyes on Tinykit, she knew he would become a strong, warm fire for all the cats around him. He will be a tiny fire, but he will be strong. Just before falling asleep, Ruby whispered to Pinekit and Bellkit: "Make sure you treat your brother fair. Do what I wasn't able to have done." Then she dozed off, drifting into her dreams.

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**

Don't worry. I am still going to post 2 more chapters for this: the Epilogue and the Allegiances. Should I make a sequel on Tinyfire?! Or Bellblaze? Or maybe Blaze and HIS journey? Or a sequel on Pinewood?! Or ALL OF THEM?! xD I hope you enjoyed this long chappy. Finally... Happy reunion! ^-^ I just HAD to give Ruby a happy ending, you know. xD

Love,

~~Rainy

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	12. Epilogue

**OMG! Maybe I had Ruby Rabies or something. xD I am addicted in updating so fast! I want to finish a story!! xD Yes, Epilogues are, as usual, sweet 'n short. But I've decided that I shall make a sequel... But suggest ideas my reviewers! After this shall be Allegiances! And *sniffle* this comes to an end... xO WAHHH! Love you guys! xD**

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**Epilogue**

Ruby glanced affectionately at her mate, Blaze. They were sharing tongues while keeping an eye on their three kits: Tinykit, Pinekit, and Bellkit. Tinykit was the bossy, commanding kit. He loved to pretend being the leader of a Clan, leading Pinekit and Bellkit smugly. But the other two kits loved him. He _was _their leader, literally. They always listened to him, and trusted, loved, included him. Ruby was proud of her kits. They had definitely done exactly what she didn't. They treated each other fairly. Sighing, she suddenly wished she were kind to Tiny all along, like these kits were.

Pinekit was the wise one. He always knew what to do, and especially what not to! But, as a kit, he uses his knowledge the right way. And the wrong! Whenever Tinykit flicked his tail, Pinekit would report what they should not do, and guess what? They'd do it, of course! Ruby always scolded the mischievous kits playfully. No cat could help it; kits were like that. Bellkit was the sweet kit. She always did what others wanted, and was perhaps too naive. She never knew if what she did was right or not. She plainly follows orders. Ruby planned to fix that soon.

"Blaze," Ruby suddenly mewed. "Did you ever regret leaving Belle to find me?" She'd seen the severe look on Blaze's face whenever he had a flashback of Belle. Blaze looked surprised when Ruby asked that question. "Why, no," he meowed. "Why would you think so? Yes, I do miss Belle, but I could never regret finding you, or having you by my side. I love you, Ruby."

Smiling, Ruby pressed her pelt against his. "I do, too." This was all she wanted after all. She couldn't do anything else with Scourge now. It was too late. But she made sure her kits did not do the same. That was her task, and she completed it. All she wanted after all was to be with Blaze, and have kits. She smiled delightfully, and at last concluded: _This was what I've always wanted. _

Twining her tail with Blaze's, she mewed, "You know, Blaze… I was just thinking about some warrior names for our kits…" Yes. This was her ending. Now she had no regrets at all.

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**Okay, maybe the ending was lame. But it DID make me want to cry... Ruby has come to an end! Good bye, folks! Wait... I should say that after the Allegiances. *wink* DON'T WANT TO LEAVE RUBY! xD**


	13. Allegiances

**Well, here goes! The allegiances. Sniff sniff. Real FAREWELLS NOW...**

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**Cast of Characters**

**Ruby-** pale gray she-cat; kittypet, now loner

**Socks-** black tom with white muzzle, tail-tip, and paws; kittypet, now loner

**Tiny/Scourge- **black tom with ice-blue eyes and a white paw; kittypet, now rogue

**Quince-** old, pale gray she-cat; kittypet

**Blaze-** handsome ginger tom with flame-colored pelt and bright amber eyes; kittypet, now loner

**Belle-** pretty pale golden tabby she-cat with dark yellow eyes and white-tipped tail and chest; kittypet

**Pine-** old, large reddish brown tom; also known as Pinestar; former ThunderClan leader

**Maple-** cream and brown tabby she-cat with white-tipped tail and dark green eyes; loner

**Tinykit (paw, fire) - **small black tom with a white paw and warm orange eyes; loner, kit of Ruby and Blaze

**Pinekit (paw, wood) - **dark ginger tom with dark brown paws and amber eyes; loner, kit of Ruby and Blaze

**Bellkit (paw, blaze) - **dappled golden she-cat with dark yellow eyes and a white chest; loner, kit of Ruby and Blaze

**Honey - **small cream tabby she-cat with white-tipped tail and pale blue eyes; loner, kit of Socks and Maple

**Gem - **pale gray she-cat with enormous bright green eyes; loner, kit of Socks and Maple

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**The Big Author Note of Good-bye's:**

**It's amazing, isn't it? Ruby is going to end. I mean it IS ending NOW! I might make a sequel, if I get enough begging reviews and ideas... Hehe. Evil me! But, I feel so... emotional! xD It seems so sad that I'm about to end this story I've been writing for not even a month. This was a great story to write. And you all out there reading this right now... I love you guys! xD Your reviews always helped encourage me to keep writing. I shall now make some recognitions. **

**To the Erins and the Manga Artists: For making the characters Ruby, Socks, Scourge/Tiny, and Pinestar. **

**Me: For writing this AWESOME STORY!! xD JUST KIDDING! DO NOT THINK ME AS A NARCISSIST!**

**All my reviewers, and I'm listing them here! *sniffle* THANK YOU!:**

**_Sorrelpaw, Michaiah, Cheesypineapple, Wildstar272819, Camryn, stormikat, Wildshadow24, person who wants another chapt (LOL xD), ~Grayfur~, Nightshimmer, Hazeldove, The Wolfie, benjv, Coby Cullen, WarriorsAddicted, dude1094, Anonymous, Anonymous, icetalon11, and (). _Although I sometimes got random and weird reviews, I still appreciate them. xD**

**You all, THANK YOU! **

**I really enjoyed writing Ruby for all of you. It has been my greatest pleasure.**

**This will be my first completed story... But I wish there wouldn't be a second! xD Well then... Farewell. Bye! xD Find me in another story! **

**Love you all,**

**The-Sad-Crying-Weeping-Totally-Going-Crazy**

**~~Rainy~~**


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